The 1990s - The Album Cover Change

In 1992 veteran album sleeve designer Bill Claxton declared that "the art of the LP cover, I'm afraid, has pretty much vanished with the arrival of the compact disc product... I long for that big 12" by 12" space where an exciting visual image could be put that would do justice to the artist on the recording and 'turn on' the potential buyer." Such pessimism about the end of album sleeve design was defied by 1990s CD designers. Instead of mourning, many set about substantially changing the rules of album packaging, reducing the emphasis on a single killer image for the front cover, and instead of turning the CD booklet into an extended visual essay paralleling the CD's musical contents. As Stefan Sagmeister, one of the 90s most notable album sleeve designers, has said of CD packaging: "apart from displaying lyrics and liner notes, they should make the consumer feel good about the band. A typical CD cover holds more information than its vinyl counterpart. While album covers are almost like posters, CD covers are more like book design. Twenty-page booklets, transparent trays with concealed graphics underneath the CD, and elaborate printing are seen many general releases". Sagmesiter is notable for the extended visual essay and themed linking of disparate images. Other examples of this trend are the extended montage by Foul End Trauma for Orbital's In Sides (1996) and Blue Source's memorable pull-out of Tori Amos in a sub-Cindy Sherman series of adopted personas for Strange Little Girl (1997). French designer Philippe Savoir is another notable example, defining the look of the Orchestre National de Jazz by ensuring a consistent design approach to all of their CD's since 1995.